Basket.



s. P. sues. BASKET.

(Application med may 17, 1899.)

(No Model.)

TH: Nonms Pneus co.. PNoTaLrmo.. WASHINGTON. n. c.

Patented lan. 9, |900.

. /N VEA/'TOR Fries,

GEORGE I. SUGG, OF ST. LEWIS, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE` HALF TO ROBERT PITT AND PENNINGTON WVEST, OF SAME PLACE.

BASKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,245, dated January 9, 1900.

Application tiled May 17, 1899. Serial No. 717,176. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it mty concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE P. SUGG, residing at St. Lewis, in the county of Edgecoinbe and State of North Carolina, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Baskets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in baskets, and has for an object to provide a folding basket designed especially for use in carrying tobacco; and it consists in cert-ain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure lis atop plan View of my invention closed in full lines and open in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a side view of the basket. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View thereof. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of the frame-bars, showing the same closed in full lines and open indotted lines to illustrate the departure of the frame-bars or their tendency to depart in adjusting them from unfolded to folded position; and Fig. 5 is a side view of the frame folded. l

In carrying out my invention I provide a basket of rectangular shape comprising aY flexible bag or body portion and diagonallyarranged and pivoted spring-bars anchored at their ends to the angular corners of the bag, whereby the folding of the basket will cause the spring-bars to move radially to a less distance from the center than they occupied when distending the corners of the body portion or bag.

In forming the basket I employ the rectangular flexible body or bag portion A, which may be of cotton, canvas, duck, or other suitable material and preferably has a cover-flap A', provided atits ends with hooks A2 or other suitable fastenings. The body or bag portion is also provided around its rim with a cord or rope B, which may be held in a casing suitably formed at the edge of the vbody or bag, as shown.

The bars O may be of iron or other spring material and are pivoted together'at C and cross each other, lying normally at approximately a right angle to each other. In the construction shown the bars have each a base plate and upright plates at the opposite ends of the base-plate, such upright plates C2 beserting the new bag,and reclamping it, as may be desired.

The basket is self-opening, as the result of spreading two adjacent ends of the pivoted bars apart. Thisresults from the dierence in length of the combined sides 1 and 2 of the triangle illustrated in Fig. 4 and the side 3 of the trianglev indicated in said gure. It is evident that if the sides 1 and 2 be moved apart at their outer ends from the position shown'in full lines, Fig. 4, to that shown in dotted lines in said figure the arms l and 2 will be caused to depart at their outer ends and lie farther apart than when they were at right angles. By connecting the outer ends of the arms by means of the bagging or body portion such arms, when'adjusted to the dotted-line position shown in Fig; 4, will be caused to exert an outward tension by reason of their elasticity, as they will be drawn together or, at least, held the same distance apart,"while the bars will be adjusted to a greater distance apart at their outer ends. The result is that when the basket is closed to the position shown in full lines, Fig. l, it has a tendency to open to the position shown in dotted lines, said figure, because of the elasticity of its spring frame-bars, as before described.

If the frame-bars be bent inward at their upper ends,the basket will not open so quickly and may be caused to stay folded, the tobacco when the basket is full expanding the same and holding it open.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A basket of rectangular shape comprising a exible bag or body portion, and diagonally-arranged and pivoted spring-bars anchored at their1 ends to the angular corners of the bag or body portion whereby the folding of the basket causes the spring-bars to move radially to a less distance from the center than they occupied when distending the corners the bag portion connecting the springarms serving to put the latter under tension when the basket is collapsed whereby it will automatically open substantially as set forth.

2. A basket comprising the two frames or bars each having a base-plate and upright plates at the opposite ends thereof, the baseplates being crossed and pivoted together at their middles, and the flexible body portion when the base-bars are at right angles to each other and causing two adjacent upright plates to depart when the base-plates are adjusted toward a parallel relation, and the lflexible bag or body portion connecting the upper ends of the upright plates whereby the tension of the plates will operate to open the basket when folded substantially as set forth.

4. A basket having the two frames composed of base-bars pivoted togetherl at their middles movable freely on such pivot and provided each at its opposite ends with the upright plates and the flexible body portion secured at its free edge t0 and forming a flexible connection uniting the upper free ends of the several uprights substantially as set forth.

GEORGE P. SUGG. Witnesses:

FRANK ROUNTREE, GEO. T. STRoNAcH. 

